John 3
Christian Standard Bible
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees(A) named Nicodemus,(B) a ruler(C) of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi,(D) we know that you are a teacher(E) who has come from God,(F) for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”(G)
3 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(I)
4 “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born(J) of water and the Spirit,(K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit(M) is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born(N) again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(P)
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you,(Q) we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended(R) into heaven(S) except the one who descended from heaven(T) —the Son of Man.[c](U)
14 “Just as Moses(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may[d] have eternal life.(X) 16 For God loved(Y) the world in this way:[e] He gave[f] his one and only(Z) Son,(AA) so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.(AB) 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn(AC) the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,(AD) because he has not believed in the name(AE) of the one and only Son(AF) of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light(AG) has come into the world,(AH) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates(AI) the light and avoids it,[g] so that his deeds(AJ) may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works(AK) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized.
23 John(AL) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.(AM)
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples(AN) and a Jew[i] about purification.(AO) 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,(AP) the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,(AQ) is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.”(AR)
27 John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,(AS) but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’(AT) 29 He who has the bride(AU) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly[j] at the groom’s voice. So this joy(AV) of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One from Heaven
31 The one who comes from above(AW) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.[k] The one who comes from heaven is above all.(AX) 32 He testifies(AY) to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.(AZ) 34 For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he[l] gives the Spirit(BA) without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son(BB) and has given all things into his hands.(BC) 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son[m] will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.(BD)
Footnotes
- 3:3 Or from above, also in v. 7
- 3:10 Or the teacher
- 3:13 Other mss add who is in heaven
- 3:15 Other mss add not perish, but
- 3:16 Or this much
- 3:16 Or For in this way God loved the world, and so he gave, or For God so loved the world that he gave
- 3:20 Lit and does not come to the light
- 3:21 Lit who does
- 3:25 Other mss read and the Jews
- 3:29 Lit with joy rejoices
- 3:31 Or of earthly things
- 3:34 Other mss read since God
- 3:36 Or refuses to believe in the Son, or disobeys the Son
Psalm 139
Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 139
The All-Knowing, Ever-Present God
For the choir director. A psalm of David.
1 Lord, you have searched me and known me.(A)
2 You know when I sit down and when I stand up;
you understand my thoughts from far away.(B)
3 You observe my travels and my rest;
you are aware of all my ways.(C)
4 Before a word is on my tongue,
you know all about it, Lord.(D)
5 You have encircled me;
you have placed your hand on me.(E)
6 This wondrous knowledge is beyond me.
It is lofty; I am unable to reach it.(F)
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?(G)
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;(H)
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.(I)
9 If I fly on the wings of the dawn
and settle down on the western horizon,[a]
10 even there your hand will lead me;
your right hand will hold on to me.(J)
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,
and the light around me will be night”(K)—
12 even the darkness is not dark to you.
The night shines like the day;
darkness and light are alike to you.(L)
13 For it was you who created my inward parts;[b]
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.(M)
14 I will praise you
because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.[c][d]
Your works are wondrous,
and I know this very well.(N)
15 My bones were not hidden from you
when I was made in secret,
when I was formed in the depths of the earth.(O)
16 Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.(P)
17 God, how precious[e] your thoughts are to me;
how vast their sum is!
18 If I counted them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand;(Q)
when I wake up,[f] I am still with you.(R)
19 God, if only you would kill the wicked—
you bloodthirsty men, stay away from me(S)—
20 who invoke you deceitfully.
Your enemies swear by you falsely.(T)
21 Lord, don’t I hate those who hate you,
and detest those who rebel against you?
22 I hate them with extreme hatred;
I consider them my enemies.(U)
Romans 5
Christian Standard Bible
Faith Triumphs
5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,(A) we have peace[a] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.(B) 2 We have also obtained access through him(C) by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand,(D) and we boast[c] in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that,(E) but we also boast in our afflictions,(F) because we know that affliction produces endurance,(G) 4 endurance produces proven character,(H) and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us,(I) because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts(J) through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
The Justified Are Reconciled
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time,(K) Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. 8 But God proves(L) his own love for us(M) in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood,(N) will we be saved through him from wrath.(O) 10 For if, while we were enemies,(P) we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.(Q) 11 And not only that, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.(R)
Death through Adam and Life through Christ
12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,(S) and death through sin,(T) in this way death spread to all people,(U) because all sinned.[d] 13 In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law.(V) 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression.(W) He is a type of the Coming One.(X)
15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man(Y) Jesus Christ overflowed to the many. 16 And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment,(Z) resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification.[e] 17 If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life(AA) through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life(AB) for everyone. 19 For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,(AC) so also through the one man’s obedience(AD) the many will be made righteous. 20 The law came along to multiply the trespass.(AE) But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more(AF) 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death,(AG) so also grace will reign(AH) through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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